


Gentron Week Day 4: Meeting the Family | Cultural Exchange

by sunshinehime



Series: Gentron Week Event 2020 [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Biracial Character, Black Hunk, Cross-cultural, Cultural Differences, Family Reunions, Gen, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron)-centric, Hunk's dad and mom had a meet cute, Meet the Family, Pre-Canon, Samoan Hunk (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehime/pseuds/sunshinehime
Summary: Sometimes chance meetings can bring forth the best results.
Relationships: Hunk & Hunk's Family (Voltron), Hunk & Hunk's Father (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron)
Series: Gentron Week Event 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863511
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	Gentron Week Day 4: Meeting the Family | Cultural Exchange

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ladyaema](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyaema/gifts).



> Iakopo - Hunk's actual name  
> James Garret - Hunk's dad  
> Adam Garret - James's brother, Hunk's uncle  
> Mariota - Hunk's mom  
> Taimane - Mariota's sister, Hunk's aunt
> 
> This was so much fun to write! I love the idea of cultures meeting and mixing and Hunk's family has to be amazing. Thanks to my friend and beta reader Layaema for the prompt!

“So how did you and mom meet?”

James Garret pauses his work for a moment to consider the question. He’s underneath the family car, trying to fix the damn exhaust on the convertible _again_. His oldest son Iakopo is sitting next to him with his back propped up against the black car.

James pushes himself from under the car and sits up as well to better see his kid. They’re in the garage with the door open and a lovely sea breeze passes through, keeping them nice and cool. “Well, well. What brought this on?” He can’t help but smile, he loves telling this story.

Iakopo looks a bit nervous and squeezes his hands together. “Well, it’s just that I always wondered how you would meet mom in the first place.”

He ruffles Iakopo’s hair and laughs when his son bats away his hand with a grin. “You got it champ. It all started when I decided to vacation at Tanu beach. Your mother was there visiting family and I kept paying attention to her as she walked around the shore with your aunt. She’s beautiful of course, but there was something else about her. She had this aura and I wanted to get to know her better.”

“How did you do that dad?”

“Well you know how I am, no beating around the bush for me. So when she finally settled in on the sand I went right up to her and introduced myself. Taimane side-eyed me at first, which I can’t blame her for, but Mariota was a real good sport about things.

“We spent the next three hours just talking about everything under the sun. Our family, childhoods, hobbies, jobs, neighborhoods. I never felt more connected to someone that quickly in my whole life. She really was as special as I thought. And then your mother and I kept meeting everyday for the rest of the week, until I had to go back to the States."

Iakopo is hooked on every word, eyes gleaming. "So what happened next? You went back to the US, so how did you meet mom again?"

He lets out a gruff laugh as he recalls the memories.

_"I'm going back to Samoa in a few months."_

_Adam rolls out from under the car, probably to get a better look at James. He blinks and stares for a long while before he starts to laugh. "Is this about that honey you met there?"_

_The pair are in their parents' garage, working on an old baby blue convertible. It's a rare model from before the third world war but somehow their mom managed to get a hold of it before it got turned to scrap metal. James is leaning on the bumper, staring down at his older brother._

_"Mariota’s her name and yes. We're making the arrangements soon and I’ll be staying with her and some relatives." And James ducks under the hood again to tinker with the shock towers._

_Adam snorts and rolls back under again to work on the exhaust. "Yeah sure. I'm supposed to believe you're upending your entire life for one chick you only knew for a week? And staying with her family?" His voice is muffled but it’s easy to hear the sarcasm in it._

_"Yup, pretty mu-- goddamn it did they run this through a shredder? Pretty much. That's how special she is. You'll know when you meet her yourself."_

_"Whatever man. You ain't going nowhere."_

_"Wait wait wait wait. You, you were serious?"_

_James gives him a look, knowing both that Adam can't see it through the phone and that he'll still visualize it anyway. Luckily his flight is in an hour so he has plenty of time to calm Adam down. Or make it worse. But what kind of younger brother would he be if he didn’t?_

_"Oh no! I know exactly what your face looks like right now. But do you hear how crazy this sounds? Why would I think you were serious? Mom and pops didn't even think you were serious."_

_He takes a deep breath. "Listen, I told everyone this three months ago. And you could have spent that time getting prepared and talking to Mariota too. But what's done is done. All I can ask is for you to trust me on this. And we can still talk and I'll still visit." He pauses for a moment, then grins. "And everyone can come visit too once we get married."_

_The choking noise Adam makes before James hangs up will sustain him for days._

“You must have really trusted mom, huh?”

He smiles, and looks at his son. And thinks of his two other babies in the house napping as his wife made them all lunch. “I did. And it was the best decision I ever made. Your uncle and grandparents agreed too, once they came down here.”

Iakopo laughs and says “I’m glad you met mom too. She’s awesome and so are you dad.”

James can’t imagine feeling more loved than at this moment. “Okay, that’s it little man. You’re getting the bear hug special!” And he scoops up a giggling Iakopo in his arms and squeezes him tight.

* * *

“Hunk! Tell your uncle and aunt to stop cheating!” Said Hunk is finishing setting up the tables and chairs for the dinner later.

“I have a name, young man. And stop running your mouth during spades.”

Of course Lance did _not_ stop running his mouth, as his family already learned hours ago. “But Mr. Garret, you’re supposed to go easy on me. I’m new to this.” His whines and Hunk can practically see the puppy eyes he’s giving Uncle Adam.

Hunk yells from across the beach as he makes his way to the Umu. “To be fair, I did warn you not to challenge them on your first go.”

Lance pouts and goes back to the game as Savea, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Taimane laugh at his antics. While Hunk’s younger brother is busy taking one for the team so Lance can have a spades partner, his sister Sia is sitting with their parents and grandparents as they play two separate games of dominos. The good natured shouts as winners and losers are born fill the air and blend in with the yells from the other kids, who are away from the main tables as they play a chaotic game of soccer.

Hunk is helping out his other aunts and uncles while they tend to the whole pig roasting on the Umu. Fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, collard greens, and potato salad are already set on the table. Right beside are the desserts his parents brought, luau and sweet potato pie. Hunk sits next to the Umu and works on the side dishes he’s been charged with: seaweed and crayfish as well as baked taro and rice.

The smells are absolutely divine and Hunk has been daydreaming about finally eating it all. Especially that pork, since it’s been cooking for over a day now and the rich, earthy scent of the meat mixed with the spices has been teasing him for too long.

He takes a moment away from the hot oven to look around. His best friend who he finally got to bring down with him for the family reunion, his mixed family who managed to blend two very different cultures into the perfect melting pot. The beautiful beach and delicious food, the games and laughter. His dad was right all those years ago, him and mom meeting was the best thing that ever happened. To all of them.

“Iakopo, Lance got mad and quit the game!”

“I’m not mad, there’s just no point playing anymore since I’m not gonna win!”

Savea giggles, then runs off to join the other kids. Sia trails behind him, probably bored of beating all the adults.

“I’m going for a swim Hunk, you coming?”

Before Hunk can answer, his great aunt smiles and nods toward Lance. He grins, and yells a thanks as he runs to join his best friend in the water.

**Author's Note:**

> Umu: an above ground oven laid with hot rocks/coals
> 
> Luau: a parcel of coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves
> 
> Spades: a card game played in teams of two, in which you try to reach the winning score by winning tricks
> 
> Dominoes: a game in which you try to play all your dominoes by matching either side with the dominoes already played


End file.
